Introduction

Inversion involves changing the position of the subject and auxiliary or modal verb.

We use inversion:

• When we start a sentence with a negative adverbial expression, an adverbial expression of place, or simply an adverb
• With: "only after", "only if", "only when", etc. when placed at the beginning of a sentence for rhetorical effect
• In conditional sentences without "if"
• To add emphasis, usually sounding more formal.

Examples

• "Under no circumstances should you open the box."
  (You should not open the box.)
   
• "On the table were three old books."
  (Three old books were on the table.)
   
• "Hardly had I entered the room when the orchestra began to play."
  (I had hardly entered the room when the orchestra began to play.)
   
• "Only when it started raining did he give me the umbrella."*
  (He gave me the umbrella only when it started raining.)
   

* Note that the inversion occurs in the main clause after expressions such as only after, only if, only when.

Further examples

• "Had I gone to university, I might have been a doctor."
  (If I had gone to university, I might have been a doctor.)
   
• "Had I not gone to university, I wouldn’t have been a doctor."
  (If I hadn’t gone to university, I wouldn’t have been a doctor.)
   
• "Had you gone to university, would you have been a doctor?"
  (If you had gone to university, would you have been a doctor?)

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Some common negative adverbials

• Never (before), Rarely, Seldom…
• Under no circumstances…
• Hardly, Scarcely …when…
• No sooner…than…
• Little…
• In no way…
• Not only…but…
• On no account…
• At no time…

Examples

• As soon as I arrived, the music started.
  "No sooner did I arrive than the music started."
   
• You mustn’t have the music too loud.
  "On no account must you have the music too loud." *
   
• He’d never seen anything like it before.
  "Never before had he seen anything like it." *
   
• I’d never seen the film.
  "At no time had I (ever) seen the film." *

* Note that a negative verb transforms as a positive verb when following a negative adverbial expression.

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Practice

Transform the following sentences:

.

1)

You mustn't let the dog off its lead.
Under no circumstances    the dog off its lead.

 

2)

She had never been there.
At no time    there.

 

3)

I am hardly ever late for work.
Rarely    late for work.

 

4)

This is not acceptable.
In no way    acceptable.

 

Please submit the missing answers shown in red
 

Submit

Further practice

Choose the correct option a, b, c or d:
.

1)

Seldom ____ on holiday as children.
 

we went

did we go

went we

we did go

 

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2)

Scarcely ____ the house when it started to rain.
 

they hadn't left

they had left

they left

had they left

 

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3)

____ more hard-working, she would have a job.
 

She were

She was

If were she

Were she

 

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4)

Out in the garden ____.
 

are there birds

birds aren't

birds are

are birds

 

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5)

On no account ____ the phone.
 

answer you

you shouldn't answer

you should answer

should you answer

 

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6)

Not only ____ but he was rude as well.
 

late was he

he was late

was he late

he wasn't late

 

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Please submit the missing answers shown in red
 

Submit